Statues of the Saints in the Church
In the summer of 2011, ten statues of Saints were donated by parishioners to St. Michael the Archangel and placed in the Church on special handcrafted pedistals.
This is a brief desccription of each saint.
This is a brief desccription of each saint.
St. PeterPeter, the first bishop of Rome (we now call the bishop of Rome, the Pope), was a fisherman from Bethsaida. Jesus invited him to follow him, saying: "I will make you a fisher of men". Peter was a simple, hard-working man. He was generous, honest and very attached to Jesus.
This great apostle's original name was Simon, but Jesus changed it to Peter, which means "rock". "You are Peter", Jesus said, "and on this rock I will build my Church". Peter was the leader of the apostles.
When Jesus was arrested, Peter became afraid. That's when he denied that he knew Jesus three times. But Peter was very sorry for what he had done, and Jesus forgave him. After his resurrection Jesus asked Peter three times, "Do you love me?" "Lord", Peter answered, "you kow all things. You know that I love you." Peter was right, Jesus really did know! Jesus said kindly, "Feed my lambs. Feed my sheep." Jesus was telling Peter to take care of his Church because he would be ascending into heaven. Jesus made Peter the leader of his followers.
Peter eventually went to live in Rome. Rome was the center of the whole world at that time. Peter converted many nonbelievers there. When the fierce persection of Christians began, they begged Peter to leave Rome and save himself. Soon after Peter returned to Rome he was taken prisoner and condemned to death. Because he was not a Roman citizen, he, like Jesus, could be crucified. This time he did not deny the Lord. This time he was ready to die for him. Peter asked to be crucified with his dead downward since he was not worthy to suffer as Jesus had. The Roman soldiers did not find this unusual because slaves were frequently crucified in the same manner.
St Peter was martyred and buried on Vatican Hill around the year 67. Emperor Constantine built a large church over that holy spot in the fourth century. Today the beautiful church called St. Peter's Basilica stands there.
February 22 is the celebrated the feast day, The Chair of St. Peter.
We can learn from St. Peter that when we make Jesus the center of our hearts and lives everything else will work out. Our sins and failings will never keep Jesus from loving and forgiving us.
St. Therese of the Child Jesus
St. Therese, often called the Little Flower, was born in Normandy, France, in 1873. She was the youngest of the five daughters born to Lois and Zelie Martin. Therese was a very lively, loveable little girl. Her father called her his "little queen:. Yet she could be overly sensitive. In the story she wrote of her life, The Story of a Soul, she tells how the Infant Jesus helped her overcome this weakness.
It was Therese's great desire to enter the Carmelite convent where two of her sisters were already nuns. But since she was only fifteen, permission was not granted. Therese felt sure that Jesus wanted her to spend her life loving him and only him. She kept praying and asking the prioress to admit her. She even dared, on a trip to Rome, to ask Pope Leo XIII himself to grant her heart's desire, and finally she was allowed to enter.
Although she was only fifteen, Therese did not expect to be babied. "Obedience, prayer and sacrifice" were her program. She had a thirst to suffer for love of God. Therese had the spiritual courage of a real heroine. "May Jesus make me a martyr of the heart or of the body, or better, both!" she wrote. And she meant it. In winter she suffered from the cold and dampness of her plain bedroom. There were other kinds of sufferings, too. Whenever she felt humiliated or misunderstood, she would offer her pain to her beloved Jesus. She would hide her hurts under a smile. She went out of her way to spend time with people who were hard to get along with. She told Jesus to do with her whatever was His will.
Sister Therese tried hard to be humble. She called her great confidence in God her "little way" to holiness. She always had a buring desire to become a saint. The young nun wanted to find a "short cut" or an "elevator", to take her quickly to sanctity. She looked in the Bible and found the words, "Whoever is a little one, come to me". When she lay dying, she could say, "I have never given the good God anything but love, and it is with love that he will repay. After my death, I will let fall a shower of roses. I will spend my heaven doing good on earth." The Little Flower died on September 30, 1897. She was proclaimed a saint by Pope Pius XI in 1925, and a Doctor of the Church by Pope John Paul II in 1997.
St. Therese taught us her "little way". To follow this way, we can offer our small sacrifices joyfully to Jesus throughout each day. We can go out of our way to be kind to difficut people. If our feelings are hurt, we can offer this to Jesus, instead of holding a grudge.
Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton
"Mother Seton" was the name everyone knew Elizabeth by when she died on January 4, 1821, in Emmitsburg, Maryland. A life full of surprises had led to that name.
Elizabeth Ann Bayley was born in New York City on Auugust 28, 1774. Her father, 'Richrd Bayley, was a well known doctor. Her mother, Catherine, died when Elizabeth was just three yars old.
In 1794, Elizabeth married William Seton. He was rich merchant who owned a fleet of ships. Elizabeth, William, and their five children had a happy life together. Elizabeth devoted her time to her family, to helping others, and to prayer. The Seton family belonged to Trinity Episcopal Church in New York City.
But soon, Elizabeth's happy life would change. First her father, who she loved very much, died. Then her father-in-law also died, and the Seton fortune quickly dwindled. Next Elizabeth's husband Will became sick.
In October, 1803, Elizabeth brought Will to Italy, hoping the climate there might help him get better. With their oldest daughter, Anna, they journeyed by ship. But Will died shortly after their affival. In her grief, Elizabeth prayed, "My God, I am alone in the world with you and my little ones. But you are my Father and doubly theirs."
Elizabeth and Anna remained in Italy as guests of the Filicchi family. The Filicchis were ver kind. They tried to ease Elizabeth and Anna's sorrow by sharing with them their own deep love for the Catholic faith. Elizabeth returned home to New York convinced that she would become a Catholic. Her family and friends didn't understand and were upset with her decision. But Elizabeth went ahead with courage. She joined the Catholic church on March 14, 1805.
A few years later, Elizabeth was asked to come and open a girls' school in Baltimore. It was there that Elizabeth decided to live as a religious sister. Many women come to join her, including her sister and sister-in-law. Her won daughers, Anna and Catherine, also joined the group. They became the Sisters of Charity, and Elizabeth was given the title "Mother Seton". The sisters' first house was small, with no running water. In the winter, they would wake up in the morning covered with a dusting of snow that had fallen through the roof! The had to walk several miles every Sunday to attend Mass in town.
More young women came to join Mother Seton, and the community grew. The sisters moved into a larger house, and Elizabeth's good works continued to spread. Besides founding many Catholic schools, she also opened orphanages. She even made plans for a hospital, which was begun after her death. Elizabeth loved to write. She also translated some textbooks from French to English. But she was best known for the way she visited the poor and the sick.
Eliabeth was canonized a saint by Pople Paul VI on September 14, 1975. She is the first U.S. born citizen to be declared a saint.
Whenever we have a problem we can talk to God about it. He will always help us to know what to do. When we trust God as St. Elizabeth Seton did, he will bring good out of even difficut situations.
It was Therese's great desire to enter the Carmelite convent where two of her sisters were already nuns. But since she was only fifteen, permission was not granted. Therese felt sure that Jesus wanted her to spend her life loving him and only him. She kept praying and asking the prioress to admit her. She even dared, on a trip to Rome, to ask Pope Leo XIII himself to grant her heart's desire, and finally she was allowed to enter.
Although she was only fifteen, Therese did not expect to be babied. "Obedience, prayer and sacrifice" were her program. She had a thirst to suffer for love of God. Therese had the spiritual courage of a real heroine. "May Jesus make me a martyr of the heart or of the body, or better, both!" she wrote. And she meant it. In winter she suffered from the cold and dampness of her plain bedroom. There were other kinds of sufferings, too. Whenever she felt humiliated or misunderstood, she would offer her pain to her beloved Jesus. She would hide her hurts under a smile. She went out of her way to spend time with people who were hard to get along with. She told Jesus to do with her whatever was His will.
Sister Therese tried hard to be humble. She called her great confidence in God her "little way" to holiness. She always had a buring desire to become a saint. The young nun wanted to find a "short cut" or an "elevator", to take her quickly to sanctity. She looked in the Bible and found the words, "Whoever is a little one, come to me". When she lay dying, she could say, "I have never given the good God anything but love, and it is with love that he will repay. After my death, I will let fall a shower of roses. I will spend my heaven doing good on earth." The Little Flower died on September 30, 1897. She was proclaimed a saint by Pope Pius XI in 1925, and a Doctor of the Church by Pope John Paul II in 1997.
St. Therese taught us her "little way". To follow this way, we can offer our small sacrifices joyfully to Jesus throughout each day. We can go out of our way to be kind to difficut people. If our feelings are hurt, we can offer this to Jesus, instead of holding a grudge.
Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton"Mother Seton" was the name everyone knew Elizabeth by when she died on January 4, 1821, in Emmitsburg, Maryland. A life full of surprises had led to that name.
Elizabeth Ann Bayley was born in New York City on Auugust 28, 1774. Her father, 'Richrd Bayley, was a well known doctor. Her mother, Catherine, died when Elizabeth was just three yars old.
In 1794, Elizabeth married William Seton. He was rich merchant who owned a fleet of ships. Elizabeth, William, and their five children had a happy life together. Elizabeth devoted her time to her family, to helping others, and to prayer. The Seton family belonged to Trinity Episcopal Church in New York City.
But soon, Elizabeth's happy life would change. First her father, who she loved very much, died. Then her father-in-law also died, and the Seton fortune quickly dwindled. Next Elizabeth's husband Will became sick.
In October, 1803, Elizabeth brought Will to Italy, hoping the climate there might help him get better. With their oldest daughter, Anna, they journeyed by ship. But Will died shortly after their affival. In her grief, Elizabeth prayed, "My God, I am alone in the world with you and my little ones. But you are my Father and doubly theirs."
Elizabeth and Anna remained in Italy as guests of the Filicchi family. The Filicchis were ver kind. They tried to ease Elizabeth and Anna's sorrow by sharing with them their own deep love for the Catholic faith. Elizabeth returned home to New York convinced that she would become a Catholic. Her family and friends didn't understand and were upset with her decision. But Elizabeth went ahead with courage. She joined the Catholic church on March 14, 1805.
A few years later, Elizabeth was asked to come and open a girls' school in Baltimore. It was there that Elizabeth decided to live as a religious sister. Many women come to join her, including her sister and sister-in-law. Her won daughers, Anna and Catherine, also joined the group. They became the Sisters of Charity, and Elizabeth was given the title "Mother Seton". The sisters' first house was small, with no running water. In the winter, they would wake up in the morning covered with a dusting of snow that had fallen through the roof! The had to walk several miles every Sunday to attend Mass in town.
More young women came to join Mother Seton, and the community grew. The sisters moved into a larger house, and Elizabeth's good works continued to spread. Besides founding many Catholic schools, she also opened orphanages. She even made plans for a hospital, which was begun after her death. Elizabeth loved to write. She also translated some textbooks from French to English. But she was best known for the way she visited the poor and the sick.
Eliabeth was canonized a saint by Pople Paul VI on September 14, 1975. She is the first U.S. born citizen to be declared a saint.
Whenever we have a problem we can talk to God about it. He will always help us to know what to do. When we trust God as St. Elizabeth Seton did, he will bring good out of even difficut situations.
Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha
Between the years of 1642 and 1649, St. Isaac Joques and his companions came from France to preach the Gospel in the New World. They were killed by Mohawks while evengelizing the Huron Indians. Ten years after the death of St. Isaac Jogues, Kateri Takakwitha was born in the same village where he had died. (The feast of St. Isaac and the North American Martyrs is celebrated on October 19.)
Tekakwitha was born in Auriesville, New York, in 1656. He mother was a Christian Algonquin Native American. Her father was a non-Christian Mohawk chief. Tekakwitha's parents and brother died of smallpox when she was four. The same disease left Tekakwitha with impaired vision and a disfigured face. Her uncle, a Mohawk chief, raised her. This is how Tekakwitha met the missionaries. One one occasion, her uncle had three jesuit missionaries as his guests. Tekakwitha began to receive instructions in the faith. She was baptized on Easter Sunday, 1676. That is when she took the name Kateri, which means katherine.
The village in which she lived was not Christian. In fact, there were no other Christians in her lodge. The Indians did not appreciate her choice to remain unmarried. They insulted her and some resented that she did not work on Sundays. But Kateri held her ground. She prayed her Rosary every day, even when others made fun of her. She practiced patience and suffered quietly. Kateri's life grew harder because of the villagers' persecution. She fled to a Christian village near Montreal. There, on Christmas Day, 1677, she received her First Communion. It was a wonderful day for her. Father Pierre Cholonec, a Jesuit, guided her spiritual life for the next three years. She and an older Iroquois woman named Anastasia lived as joyful, generous Christians. Kateri made a private vow of virginity on March 25, 1679. She was just twenty-four when she died on April 17, 1680. Three hundred years later, on June 22, 1980, Kateri Tekakwitha was declared a blessed by Pope John Paul II. She is known as the "Lily of the Mohawks." (Blessed Kateri will become a saint later this year)
Blessed Kateri received the gift of belief in Jesus because of the sacrifices of the missionaries. We can thank Jesus for those who brought the Catholic religion into our lives, too. Who are they? Our parents, grandparents, other relatives, religious education teachers, priests? We can ask Blessed Kateri to teach us how to be grateful by sharing our faith with others.
Saint Anthony of Padua
This very popular Saint was born in Lisbon, Portugal, in 1195. His baptismal name was Ferdinand. Ferdinand was taught by the Augustinian friars. When he was old enough, he joined their order. At the age of twenty-five, Ferdinand's life took an exciting turn. He heard about some Franciscans who had been martyred by the Moors in Morocco. These friars were St. Berard and his companions. Their feast day is January 16. Ferdinand was so impressed with the courage of the martyrs that he got permission to transfer from the Augustinian Order to the Franciscan Order. This order was very new. St. Francis, its founder, was still alive. Ferdinand took the name "Anthony". He went off to Africa to preach about Jesus to the Moors. But he soon became so sick that his superiors called him back to Portugal. On the way there, however, his ship was caught in a terrible storm. It had to land in Italy instead of returning to Portugal.
No one in his new religious order realized how brilliant and talented Anthony was. He never spoke about himself orhow much he knew. So the Franciscan superiors assigned him to a quiet friary in Italy. There he washed pots and pans. One day Anthony was unexpectedly asked to preach in front of a crowd of priests and important people. Everyone was surprised at the wonderful things he said about God. From then on, until he died nine years later, Anthony was sent to preach all over Italy. He was so popular that people even closed their stores to go to hear him.
After 1226, Anthony remained in the city of Padua, Italy. There his preaching completely changed the lives of the people. He helped the poor and worked to keep people who couldn't pay their bills from being thrown into prison. His sermons helped people to not only understand their faith better, but to put it into practice.
Anthony died at Arcella, near Padua, Italy, on June 13, 1231. He was only thirty-six years old. Pope Gregory IX proclaimed him a saint just one year later.
Many people ask St. Anthony to pray to God for them when they need help. Any many miracles have taken place through his intercession. Statues of St. Anthony show him holding the Infant Jesus because Jesus once appeared to him as a baby. Other pictures show St. Anthony holding a Bible. This is because he knew, loved and preached the Word of God so well. In fact, St. Anthony knew Scripture so well that Pope Pius XII proclaimed him the "Evangelical Doctor", or Doctor of Sacred Scripture.
Sometimes we want to be recognized for the things we do well. It may be that we won't always receive as much attention as we would like. That's when we can ask St. Anthony to teach us how to use our gifts without expecting any praise in return.
Tekakwitha was born in Auriesville, New York, in 1656. He mother was a Christian Algonquin Native American. Her father was a non-Christian Mohawk chief. Tekakwitha's parents and brother died of smallpox when she was four. The same disease left Tekakwitha with impaired vision and a disfigured face. Her uncle, a Mohawk chief, raised her. This is how Tekakwitha met the missionaries. One one occasion, her uncle had three jesuit missionaries as his guests. Tekakwitha began to receive instructions in the faith. She was baptized on Easter Sunday, 1676. That is when she took the name Kateri, which means katherine.
The village in which she lived was not Christian. In fact, there were no other Christians in her lodge. The Indians did not appreciate her choice to remain unmarried. They insulted her and some resented that she did not work on Sundays. But Kateri held her ground. She prayed her Rosary every day, even when others made fun of her. She practiced patience and suffered quietly. Kateri's life grew harder because of the villagers' persecution. She fled to a Christian village near Montreal. There, on Christmas Day, 1677, she received her First Communion. It was a wonderful day for her. Father Pierre Cholonec, a Jesuit, guided her spiritual life for the next three years. She and an older Iroquois woman named Anastasia lived as joyful, generous Christians. Kateri made a private vow of virginity on March 25, 1679. She was just twenty-four when she died on April 17, 1680. Three hundred years later, on June 22, 1980, Kateri Tekakwitha was declared a blessed by Pope John Paul II. She is known as the "Lily of the Mohawks." (Blessed Kateri will become a saint later this year)
Blessed Kateri received the gift of belief in Jesus because of the sacrifices of the missionaries. We can thank Jesus for those who brought the Catholic religion into our lives, too. Who are they? Our parents, grandparents, other relatives, religious education teachers, priests? We can ask Blessed Kateri to teach us how to be grateful by sharing our faith with others.
Saint Anthony of PaduaThis very popular Saint was born in Lisbon, Portugal, in 1195. His baptismal name was Ferdinand. Ferdinand was taught by the Augustinian friars. When he was old enough, he joined their order. At the age of twenty-five, Ferdinand's life took an exciting turn. He heard about some Franciscans who had been martyred by the Moors in Morocco. These friars were St. Berard and his companions. Their feast day is January 16. Ferdinand was so impressed with the courage of the martyrs that he got permission to transfer from the Augustinian Order to the Franciscan Order. This order was very new. St. Francis, its founder, was still alive. Ferdinand took the name "Anthony". He went off to Africa to preach about Jesus to the Moors. But he soon became so sick that his superiors called him back to Portugal. On the way there, however, his ship was caught in a terrible storm. It had to land in Italy instead of returning to Portugal.
No one in his new religious order realized how brilliant and talented Anthony was. He never spoke about himself orhow much he knew. So the Franciscan superiors assigned him to a quiet friary in Italy. There he washed pots and pans. One day Anthony was unexpectedly asked to preach in front of a crowd of priests and important people. Everyone was surprised at the wonderful things he said about God. From then on, until he died nine years later, Anthony was sent to preach all over Italy. He was so popular that people even closed their stores to go to hear him.
After 1226, Anthony remained in the city of Padua, Italy. There his preaching completely changed the lives of the people. He helped the poor and worked to keep people who couldn't pay their bills from being thrown into prison. His sermons helped people to not only understand their faith better, but to put it into practice.
Anthony died at Arcella, near Padua, Italy, on June 13, 1231. He was only thirty-six years old. Pope Gregory IX proclaimed him a saint just one year later.
Many people ask St. Anthony to pray to God for them when they need help. Any many miracles have taken place through his intercession. Statues of St. Anthony show him holding the Infant Jesus because Jesus once appeared to him as a baby. Other pictures show St. Anthony holding a Bible. This is because he knew, loved and preached the Word of God so well. In fact, St. Anthony knew Scripture so well that Pope Pius XII proclaimed him the "Evangelical Doctor", or Doctor of Sacred Scripture.
Sometimes we want to be recognized for the things we do well. It may be that we won't always receive as much attention as we would like. That's when we can ask St. Anthony to teach us how to use our gifts without expecting any praise in return.
St. Peregrine Laziosi
Born in Forti, Italy, Peregrine is the patron saint of persons suffering from concer, AIDS and other serious diseases.
As a young man Peregrine was a member of an anti-papal party until he encountered St. Philip Benizi, the head of the Servite order, who had been sent to try to reconcile the divided community. While trying to preach in Forti, Philip was heckled and even struck by Peregrine, who was overcome by momentary political fervor. but that moment also changed Peregrine. He began to channel his energies in new directions, engaged in good works and eventually joined the Servites in Siena and went on to be ordained a priest. Returning to his home town, he founded a new Servite house there and became well known for his preaching and holiness as well as his devotion to the sick and poor.
One of the special penances he imposed on himself was standing whenever it was not necessary to sit. Over time, Peregrine developed varicose veins and then cancer of the foot. The wound became painful and diseased and all medical treatment failed. The local surgeon determined amputation of the leg was called for.
Tradition has it that the night before surgery was scheduled, Peregrine spent much time in prayer before the crucified Jesus, asking God to heal him if it was God's will to do so. Falling asleep at one point, Peregrine had a vision of the crucified Jesus leaving the cross and touching his cancerous leg. When Peregrine awoke, the wound was healed and his foot and leg, miraculously cured, were saved. He lived another 20 years. Peregrine was canonized in 1726.
Peregrine got his miracel, his cancer was cured. But Peregrine had already experienced a more important healing, a softening of his heart rechanneling all his energy into the service of the gospel. Most of us pray fervently if not for a miracle, at least for some need that lies close to our hearts. And so we should, for God cares about our concerns. But no prayer would please God more than to ask that we might experience an ongoing softening of our hearts.
Saint Vincent de Paul
Vincent, the son of poor French preasants, was born in 1581. When he grew up and became famous, he loved to tell people how he had taken care of his father's pigs. Because he was intelligent, his father sent him to school; and after finishing his studies, Vincent became a priest.
At first, he was given an important position as the teacher of rich children, and he lived rather comfortably. Then one day, he was called to the side of a dying peasant. In front of many people, this man declared that all his past confessions had been bad ones. Suddenly Father Vincent realized how urgently the poor people of France needed spiritual help. When he began to preach to them, crowds went to confession. He finally decided to start a congregation of priests to work among the poor.
The charities of St. Vincent de Paul were so many that it seems impossible for one person to have begun so much. He ministered to the galley slaves who worked on the sailing ships. He started the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity with St. Louise de Marillac. He opened hospitals and homes for orphans and the elderly. He collected large sums of money for poor areas, sent missionaries to many countries, and bought back Christian slaves from northern Africa. Even though he was such a charitable man, however, he humbly admitted that he was not so by nature. "I would have been hard, rough and ill-tempered," he said, "were it not for God's grace". Vincent de Paul died in Paris on September 27, 1660. He was proclaimed a saint in 1737 by Pope Clement XII.
Jesus asks us to be good to others, especially to those who suffer. He says to us, "As long as you did it to one of the least of my brothers or sisters, you did it to me" (Matthew 25:40). We can put these words of our Lord into practice and follow the example of St. Vincent de Paul by reaching out to those around us when we see them in need.
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
As a young man Peregrine was a member of an anti-papal party until he encountered St. Philip Benizi, the head of the Servite order, who had been sent to try to reconcile the divided community. While trying to preach in Forti, Philip was heckled and even struck by Peregrine, who was overcome by momentary political fervor. but that moment also changed Peregrine. He began to channel his energies in new directions, engaged in good works and eventually joined the Servites in Siena and went on to be ordained a priest. Returning to his home town, he founded a new Servite house there and became well known for his preaching and holiness as well as his devotion to the sick and poor.
One of the special penances he imposed on himself was standing whenever it was not necessary to sit. Over time, Peregrine developed varicose veins and then cancer of the foot. The wound became painful and diseased and all medical treatment failed. The local surgeon determined amputation of the leg was called for.
Tradition has it that the night before surgery was scheduled, Peregrine spent much time in prayer before the crucified Jesus, asking God to heal him if it was God's will to do so. Falling asleep at one point, Peregrine had a vision of the crucified Jesus leaving the cross and touching his cancerous leg. When Peregrine awoke, the wound was healed and his foot and leg, miraculously cured, were saved. He lived another 20 years. Peregrine was canonized in 1726.
Peregrine got his miracel, his cancer was cured. But Peregrine had already experienced a more important healing, a softening of his heart rechanneling all his energy into the service of the gospel. Most of us pray fervently if not for a miracle, at least for some need that lies close to our hearts. And so we should, for God cares about our concerns. But no prayer would please God more than to ask that we might experience an ongoing softening of our hearts.
Saint Vincent de PaulVincent, the son of poor French preasants, was born in 1581. When he grew up and became famous, he loved to tell people how he had taken care of his father's pigs. Because he was intelligent, his father sent him to school; and after finishing his studies, Vincent became a priest.
At first, he was given an important position as the teacher of rich children, and he lived rather comfortably. Then one day, he was called to the side of a dying peasant. In front of many people, this man declared that all his past confessions had been bad ones. Suddenly Father Vincent realized how urgently the poor people of France needed spiritual help. When he began to preach to them, crowds went to confession. He finally decided to start a congregation of priests to work among the poor.
The charities of St. Vincent de Paul were so many that it seems impossible for one person to have begun so much. He ministered to the galley slaves who worked on the sailing ships. He started the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity with St. Louise de Marillac. He opened hospitals and homes for orphans and the elderly. He collected large sums of money for poor areas, sent missionaries to many countries, and bought back Christian slaves from northern Africa. Even though he was such a charitable man, however, he humbly admitted that he was not so by nature. "I would have been hard, rough and ill-tempered," he said, "were it not for God's grace". Vincent de Paul died in Paris on September 27, 1660. He was proclaimed a saint in 1737 by Pope Clement XII.
Jesus asks us to be good to others, especially to those who suffer. He says to us, "As long as you did it to one of the least of my brothers or sisters, you did it to me" (Matthew 25:40). We can put these words of our Lord into practice and follow the example of St. Vincent de Paul by reaching out to those around us when we see them in need.
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
Agnes Goxha Bojaxhiu was born in 1910, in what was then Yugoslavia. Her parents were Albanian. by the time she was twelve years old, she knew she wanted to be a missionary. When she was eighteen, she entered the community of the Loreto sisters in Calcutta, India.
Sister Teresa taught geography at St. Mary's High School in Calcutta. She later became principal. Her students were all from well-off families. The poor children from Calcutta's slums were not allowed admission. There was a big difference between the comfortable lifestyle in the convent and the wretched poverty just outside.
On September 10, 1946, while riding on a train, Sister Teresa felt an unmistakable call from God to serve the poorest of the poor. By the spring of 1948, she had received permission to go out of her safe convent walls and work among the poor. In August, she put on a white cotton sari edged in blue, which was to become her new Order's habit. After taking a nurse's training course, Mother Teresa opened a school in Moti Jheel, the poorest section of Calcutta.
Soon other young women joined her and in 1950 the Missionaries of Charity became a new community in the Church. Mother Teresa and her sisters lived among the poor in order to serve them better. Each sister was allowed only two saris, which cost about a dollar each. In this way, they could teach by example that it is possible to keep clean with only one change of clothing. Mother Teresa valued poverty so highly, that she only accepted gifts from benefactors if they could be used to help the poor. She once turned down a donation of $500,000 because the donor said it must be used only as security for the Order. Mother Teresa knew that God would provide for her community's future. It was up to her to help the poor today.
Mother Teresa knew that she and her sisters would not have the strength needed to do this work if they did not stay united to Jesus in the Eucharist. They began each morning with Mass and Communion. They ended each day with an hour of adoration before the Blessed Sacrament.
Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. As she became known throughout the world, she remained humble and poor. She took every opportunity to speak out for the poorest of the poor, for the helpless people on the fringes of society and for the unborn children. She challenged people with power and means to take responsibility for those who had none.
Mother Teresa died on September 5, 1997. She was beatified by Pople John Paul II on October 19, 2003.
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta once said: "Christ will judge us on our love for him, how we fed him, not only with rice and bread, but with the understanding love we showed in our own homes, in our own communities."
Blessed Pope John Paul II
"Open wide the doors to Christ", urged John Paul II during the homily at the Mass when he was installed as Pope in 1978.
Born in Wadowice, Poland, Karol Jozef Wojtyla had lost his mother, father and older brother before his 21st birthday. Karol's proming academic career at Krakow's Jagiellonian University was cut short by the outbreak of World War II. While working in a quarry and a chemical factory, he enrolled in an "underground" seminary in Krakow. Ordained in 1946, he was immeediately sent to Rome where he earned a doctorate in theology.
Back in Poland, a short assignment as assistant pastor in a rural parish preceded his very fruitful chaplaincy for university students. Soon he earned a doctorate in philosophy and began teaching that subject at Poland's University of Lublin.
Communist officials allowed him to be appointed auxiliary bishop of Krakow in 1958, considering him a relatively harmless intellectual. They could have not been more wrong!
He attended all four sessions of Vatican II, was appointed archbishop of Krakow in 1964 and named a cardinal three years later.
Elected Pope in October 1978, he took the name of his short-lived, immediate predecessor. Pope John Paul II was the first non-Italitan pope in 455 years. In time, he made pastoral visits to 124 countries, including several with small Christian populations.
The Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, a key event in John Paul's ministry, was marked by special celebrations in Rome and elsewhere for Catholics and other Christians. Relations with the Orthodox Churches improved consideraby during his ministry as pope.
One of the most well-remembered photos of his pontificate was his one-on-one conversation in 1983 with Hehmet Ali Agca, who had attempted to assassinate him two years earlier.
In his 27 years of papal ministry, John Paul wrote 14 encyclicals and five books, canonized 482 saints and beatified 1338 people. Pope Benedict XVI beatified John Paul II on May 1, 2011, Divine Mercy Sunday.
Before John Paul's funeral Mass in St. Peter's Square, hundreds of thousands of people had waited patiently for a brief moment to pray before his body, which lay in state inside St. Peter's for several days. The media coverage of his funeral was unprecedented.
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, then dean of the College of Cardinals and later Pope Benedict XVI, presdided at the funeral Mass and concluded his homily by saying: "None of us can ever forget how, in that last Easter Sunday of his life, the Holy Father, marked by suffering, came once more to the window of the Apostolic Palace and one last time gave his blessing urbi et orbi (to the city and to the world).
"We can be sure that our beloved pope is standing today at the window of the Father's house, that sees us and blesses us. Yes, bless us, Holy Father. We entrust your dear soul to the Mother of God, your Mother, who guided you each day and who will guide you now to the glory of her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen."
In his 1999 Letter to the Elderly, Pople John Paul II wrote: "Grant, O Lord of life . . .when the moment of our definitive 'passage' comes, that we may face it with serenity, without regret for what we shall leave behind. For in meeting you, after having sought you for so long, we shall find once more every authentic good which we have known here on earth, in the company of all those who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith and hope. . . .Amen."
St. Jude
Jude, like all the saints, is the saint of the impossible: only God can create his divine life in human beings. and God will to do so, for all of us.
Sister Teresa taught geography at St. Mary's High School in Calcutta. She later became principal. Her students were all from well-off families. The poor children from Calcutta's slums were not allowed admission. There was a big difference between the comfortable lifestyle in the convent and the wretched poverty just outside.
On September 10, 1946, while riding on a train, Sister Teresa felt an unmistakable call from God to serve the poorest of the poor. By the spring of 1948, she had received permission to go out of her safe convent walls and work among the poor. In August, she put on a white cotton sari edged in blue, which was to become her new Order's habit. After taking a nurse's training course, Mother Teresa opened a school in Moti Jheel, the poorest section of Calcutta.
Soon other young women joined her and in 1950 the Missionaries of Charity became a new community in the Church. Mother Teresa and her sisters lived among the poor in order to serve them better. Each sister was allowed only two saris, which cost about a dollar each. In this way, they could teach by example that it is possible to keep clean with only one change of clothing. Mother Teresa valued poverty so highly, that she only accepted gifts from benefactors if they could be used to help the poor. She once turned down a donation of $500,000 because the donor said it must be used only as security for the Order. Mother Teresa knew that God would provide for her community's future. It was up to her to help the poor today.
Mother Teresa knew that she and her sisters would not have the strength needed to do this work if they did not stay united to Jesus in the Eucharist. They began each morning with Mass and Communion. They ended each day with an hour of adoration before the Blessed Sacrament.
Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. As she became known throughout the world, she remained humble and poor. She took every opportunity to speak out for the poorest of the poor, for the helpless people on the fringes of society and for the unborn children. She challenged people with power and means to take responsibility for those who had none.
Mother Teresa died on September 5, 1997. She was beatified by Pople John Paul II on October 19, 2003.
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta once said: "Christ will judge us on our love for him, how we fed him, not only with rice and bread, but with the understanding love we showed in our own homes, in our own communities."
Blessed Pope John Paul II"Open wide the doors to Christ", urged John Paul II during the homily at the Mass when he was installed as Pope in 1978.
Born in Wadowice, Poland, Karol Jozef Wojtyla had lost his mother, father and older brother before his 21st birthday. Karol's proming academic career at Krakow's Jagiellonian University was cut short by the outbreak of World War II. While working in a quarry and a chemical factory, he enrolled in an "underground" seminary in Krakow. Ordained in 1946, he was immeediately sent to Rome where he earned a doctorate in theology.
Back in Poland, a short assignment as assistant pastor in a rural parish preceded his very fruitful chaplaincy for university students. Soon he earned a doctorate in philosophy and began teaching that subject at Poland's University of Lublin.
Communist officials allowed him to be appointed auxiliary bishop of Krakow in 1958, considering him a relatively harmless intellectual. They could have not been more wrong!
He attended all four sessions of Vatican II, was appointed archbishop of Krakow in 1964 and named a cardinal three years later.
Elected Pope in October 1978, he took the name of his short-lived, immediate predecessor. Pope John Paul II was the first non-Italitan pope in 455 years. In time, he made pastoral visits to 124 countries, including several with small Christian populations.
The Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, a key event in John Paul's ministry, was marked by special celebrations in Rome and elsewhere for Catholics and other Christians. Relations with the Orthodox Churches improved consideraby during his ministry as pope.
One of the most well-remembered photos of his pontificate was his one-on-one conversation in 1983 with Hehmet Ali Agca, who had attempted to assassinate him two years earlier.
In his 27 years of papal ministry, John Paul wrote 14 encyclicals and five books, canonized 482 saints and beatified 1338 people. Pope Benedict XVI beatified John Paul II on May 1, 2011, Divine Mercy Sunday.
Before John Paul's funeral Mass in St. Peter's Square, hundreds of thousands of people had waited patiently for a brief moment to pray before his body, which lay in state inside St. Peter's for several days. The media coverage of his funeral was unprecedented.
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, then dean of the College of Cardinals and later Pope Benedict XVI, presdided at the funeral Mass and concluded his homily by saying: "None of us can ever forget how, in that last Easter Sunday of his life, the Holy Father, marked by suffering, came once more to the window of the Apostolic Palace and one last time gave his blessing urbi et orbi (to the city and to the world).
"We can be sure that our beloved pope is standing today at the window of the Father's house, that sees us and blesses us. Yes, bless us, Holy Father. We entrust your dear soul to the Mother of God, your Mother, who guided you each day and who will guide you now to the glory of her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen."
In his 1999 Letter to the Elderly, Pople John Paul II wrote: "Grant, O Lord of life . . .when the moment of our definitive 'passage' comes, that we may face it with serenity, without regret for what we shall leave behind. For in meeting you, after having sought you for so long, we shall find once more every authentic good which we have known here on earth, in the company of all those who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith and hope. . . .Amen."
St. JudeJude, like all the saints, is the saint of the impossible: only God can create his divine life in human beings. and God will to do so, for all of us.